I've written a piece for the Woodbrooke Learning Blog on how religion at its best teaches us to live adventurously in a dangerous world. You can find it here. The Woodbrooke blog unfortunately has no comments facility, so feel free to comment on it here. Enjoy!

Dear readers and followers of Jolly Quaker, 2017 has, in one way or another, been a challenging year for me, but blogging continues to be one of my chief joys. I write this blog for myself. It helps me organise and articulate my thoughts. The act of writing a post and putting it out there … Continue reading Thank you to my readers →

In this post I'm going to get rather theological. Hopefully in a clear and understandable way. I recently wrote an essay for my theology MA, exploring the modern Western theological movement known as postliberalism. I'd like to have a go at explaining it in a less technical way, whilst also reflecting on what it might have … Continue reading ‘I’m religious, not spiritual’: Postliberalism for Quakers →

Last week I was present at the 'No Faith in War' day, part of the 'Stop the Arms Fair' week of action. Here are my reflections on what I witnessed. The ortolan is a small bird, considered in some countries to be a delicacy. It is kept in darkness, or perhaps blinded, causing it to … Continue reading Arms fairs, Ortolans and the Apocalypse →

Greenbelt, is a festival of arts, justice and faith that takes place at Boughton House near Kettering in the Midlands of England. It's become almost an annual pilgrimage for me, and this year, helped by the glorious weather, it has refreshed and inspired me in unexpected ways. One of the highlights of the festival was … Continue reading Be a God-Bearer: A Quaker Mariology →

The George Gorman Lecture is given at the Yearly Meeting Gatherings of Quakers in Britain by a younger Friend. Tim Gee delivered the 2017 Gorman Lecture - 'Movement Building from Stillness' - on Wednesday 2 August. I would like to congratulate Tim on his excellent, engaging and thought provoking lecture. He presented hard truths in … Continue reading Re-Membering Scripture: a footnote to the 2017 George Gorman Lecture →

Finding doctrines that work Doctrine is one of those words that you might not associate with liberal Quakerism. We might look at doctrinal debates of the past - such as whether the Son is of the same substance as the Father, or of a similar substance (the 4th Century Arian controversy), or whether the Holy … Continue reading Quakers and White privilege: the seed of the serpent? →

1. Is Quakerism like Marmite? I believe that Quakerism is for everyone. Apparently this is a controversial thing to say amongst British Quakers, so I’d like to have a go at explaining what I mean by this, and why I believe it’s important. I suspect that what most people mean when they say that ‘Quakerism … Continue reading Is Quakerism like Marmite? →

A shorter version of this article first appeared in 'The Friend' on 20 April 2017. In general I find British Quakers reluctant to talk about evil. Can we use the words ‘evil’ and ‘sin’ in a way that is helpful and life affirming? The writers of Twelve Quakers and Evil (2006) show a strong desire to … Continue reading Finding a good way to talk about evil →

2016 has given me much to be thankful for: the birth of my nephew, a year of continuing job satisfaction and being part of a vibrant faith community are at the top of my list. 2016 has also been a disturbing and troubling year. The continuing escalation of the refugee crisis, climate disruption and global … Continue reading Spiritual practice for uncertain times →